Armstrong's The Last Troubadour is buzzing widely, developing a wide fan club for its unique mix of historical epic, Tarot fantasy, comedy and action. Tarot fans have adopted the book as their own! Armstrong brings his "genre-bending" skills to the thirteenth century, quilling a laugh-out-loud historical thriller that is at once genuine, amusing, tragic and exciting. The last living troubadour, condemned by the church as a heretic, must rescue the Holy Grail from a crusading Sainted King and "flaming" Pope Innocence. With him are a disgraced Templar and a lucious Temptress. Together, the Troubadour, the Templar and the Temptress are the last hope to save the Grail from Holy men who would exploit it to provoke a new crusade to Jerusalem. With characters straight out of the Tarot deck, from The Fool to the Magician to the Devil, Armstrong weaves an enchanting tale that will keep you breathless. "I couldn't put it down!!" wrote one fan. Armstrong somehow manages to retain his trademark "prose style that keeps us chuckling" while pointing his satirical wit at a Church that believes the answer to faith is to burn any who do not believe. With larger-than-life characters that manage not to become caricatures, Armstrong sets his heroes against the Diableteur, a witch hunter who resembles Death and his sickle, and a lecherous archbishop who believes the Grail can make him the next Pope. With Ramon Troubadour and his Templar/Temptress duo are an ecclectic cast of characters—the one-eyed "black" knight who falls in love with the virgin witch queen, the deaf-mute pagan farm girl who can communicate in ways that frighten even her family, and famous rebels, Doré the Dandy and Audric the Hammer. Oh, not to foget little Mauri, a "rat-like" mongrel of a dog who often "saves the day." If you enjoy your thrills and history—crusading knights, magical troubadours, fighting damsels, evil archbishops and roasting "heretics" on the pyre—mixed with a genorous dollop of humor, large dashes of historical tragedy, and a big splash of satire, you'll adore The Last Troubadour, a genre-bend if there ever was one. With him is Perceval, a French squire torn between loyalty to France and his friendship for Ramon. And Seigneur, the one-eyed knight who loves the Dame — but can never have her. And Aiglentine, the deaf-mute pagan. And Father Perin, the suicidal priest. Against them are cruel men who cannot hear Ramon’s song: the Saint King Louis and his armies; Pope Gregory and his inquisition; and the grotesque Diableteur, a witch hunter feared even by the Archbishop who unleashes him. When Ramon discovers the Sainted King and Pope plan to invade the final refuge of Montségur, he will do anything to stop them. For in Montségur are the last of the Cathars and a Holy relic so powerful, so mystical, that Pope and King would willingly sacrifice entire armies to obtain it... The Last Troubadour is the first epic novel in the three book Song of Montségur cycle. US$ 27.95 FIC014000 FICTION / Historical ISBN 978-1-60164-010-9 Pages 384 Hardcover Forthcoming 2007 Kunati Cloth Hardcover From Derek Armstrong and Kunati Books. Derek Armstrong is the author of the thriller The Game (Kunati) and The Persona Principle (Simon & Schuster).

Professional Reviews
Booklist Magazine featured review Sept Fall Releases issue
"More than a few moments of near-brilliance in which Armstrong blends comedy, parody, and adventure in genuinely innovative ways. An ambitious attempt from a writer of abundant talent." Booklist, David Pitt

Library Journal: Recommmended for All
A handsome troubadour with a beguiling voice leads an astonishing escape heist aided by a witch, a saint, and a couple of knights, monks, and other assorted characters both great and humble. The setting is southern France, the year, 1241. Tales about the Inquisition are not supposed to be amusing and entertaining, but Armstrong (The Game) manages to make them just that while keeping historical integrity mostly intact, if making free use of real and folkloric events alike. The fortified city of Carcassonne-also the location for Kate Mosse's Labyrinth-is held by bickering secular and religious authority much aggravated by the capture of The Jewel, a symbolic leader of the Cathar heresy. Readers will encounter a surprising amount of detail on medieval life that unfolds at a steady pace until the impossible rescue of the Silver Dame at a May Day festival. Two more volumes are on the way, ending at the siege of Montségur. Readers who enjoyed James Patterson and Andrew Gross's The Jester are bound to like this straightforward narrative, and, it should be mentioned, these historical events are a backstory in The Da Vinci Code. Recommended for all public libraries.-

Mary-Kay Bird-Guilliams, Wichita P.L., KS

Armstrong, Derek. The Last Troubadour. Kunati, dist. by Independent Publishers Group. (Song of Montségur, Bk. 1). Oct. 2007. c.384p. ISBN 978-1-60164-010-9. $24.95.

Aeclectic Tarot, Bonnie Cehovet
Review by Bonnie Cehovet

The Last Troubadour - Song of Montsegur is the first book in a trilogy that was twenty years in the making. Set against the background of 13th century Europe, it combines humor, mystery and history in delightful proportions. Being in and of its time, it is also earthy, bawdy, and rowdy ... all of the things that real life can be.

Of note to Tarot aficionados is the use of Tarot as an important part of the story. Armstrong considered the ramifications of including the Tarot ... Was it a strong enough base to bring in significant readership? Would he lose readers because of it? In the end, it became an important tool in the telling of the story. Each major character is an archetype from the Tarot: Ramon Troubadour, the Fool who leads the quest to save the Silver Dame of Montsegur (the High Priestess) from the fires of the Inquisition (fires that took his own mother years before); Nevara, the albino pagan sorceress (Magus/Magician) who heals and plays tricks with equanimity; Hugh d'Arcis, conquering Viscount of Carcassonne (the Emperor); Seigneur, the one eyed "Cyclops" crusader (Strength/Lust); and the Diableteur, the feared witch-hunter (Death).

Armstong has a solid background in the Tarot, and his characterizations are perfect! We laugh, we cry, and we pray with his people. We meet the Templar who chose a solo path (although he does ride with Knights loyal to him), the monk who is suicidal, the Grand Duo who are not at all what they seem, and the Silver Dame who heals with unconditional love, and holds the key to it all.

The story revolves around the Fool (Ramon Troubadour), and his quest to save the Silver Dame from the fires of the Inquisition. Along the way he partners with Nevara, the witch, and Arnot, the disenfranchised Templar. His sworn enemy becomes his greatest support, and a feared woods his escape and sanctuary.

Why is the Silver Dame so important to the Inquisition (and to the Pope)? What sacred religious relics does she hold knowledge of, and why are they important not only to the Pope, but to the two men who are vying to succeed him in office? Who is the Pope's man, the Diableteur, the witch-hunter that all fear, who is after the sacred relics in the name of the Pope?

It is quite interesting to see the archetypes of the Tarot come to life in this amazing setting! To see how important the Templers became not only as warriors but as bankers, and how the shadows in an individual's life can drive them harder and farther than anything visible. Here we see politics at it's finest (and deadliest), and how fear knows no boundaries.

There is such magic in this book, and more to come! With the second book in this trilogy (due out in 2008), we should be seeing an accompanying deck that is in the process of being created specifically for this series.

Kudos to Derek Armstrong ... this is a wonderful work of art, and I highly recommend it to all who are interested in the Tarot, in the history of the 13th century, and in a mystery that crosses many boundaries!

© September 2007

Bonnie Cehovet is a professional Tarot reader with over ten years experience, holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and is certified as a Tarot Educator with the American Board For Tarot Certification. Bonnie has served in various capacities with the American Tarot Association, is co-founder of the World Tarot Network, and Vice President (as well as Director of Certification) for the American Board For Tarot Certification. She has had articles appear in the 2004 and 2005 Llewellyn Tarot Reader.

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